(CNN) - A federal judge has denied the Obama administration's request to stay his ruling lifting a moratorium on offshore drilling moratorium until an appeals court could review the case.

In an emergency hearing Thursday, U.S. District Judge Martin Feldman denied the government's motion to stay pending appeal "for the same reasons given in [the] Court's June 22, 2010 order granting the plaintiffs' motion for preliminary injunction."

The six-month ban had halted all drilling in more than 500 feet of water and prevented new permits from being issued.

soundoff(117 Responses)

Don SC

I sincerely hope we never see the likes of an oil disaster like this again. But, given what we are dealing with, I have to say that if another well blows....Jindal, you clean it up yourself and don't come crying for government assistance. I'm amazed at how short-sighted people can be.

June 24, 2010 02:30 pm at 2:30 pm |

Pragmatic

Big Oil doesn't know what failed, doesn't know how to stop the gusher and its only plan B is "crossing our fingers that nothing happens" They vowed to protect walruses, a species that hasn't inhabited the Gulf of Mexico for 3 million years & part of their “emergency response” was the phone number of a marine biologist who has been dead since 2005.

"Thank God for small favors. But we would not be in this dire a situation if wack job environmentalist had not pushed all drilling so far off shore"

-----------------

Listen...I understand that conservatives need to lie...that it is a part of their make-up as human beings.....but you need to lie better.

Tough for this one to be true when Oil officials have said they drill in deep-water areas because that is where the oil is.

Nice try though on the lie. Make sure you listen to Beck and Rush for the next one you can state.

June 24, 2010 02:33 pm at 2:33 pm |

Spencer

The "beat goes on". President Obama is making all other presidents look good in comparison. His inexperience, poor leadership skills, and administration goals are wrong for the country. Name them: oil spill, unemployment, immigration, econmomy, wars, health care, cap and trade, deficit, spending, recovery act, bailouts, poll number. Is there anything that is going right? Can't wait until November, 4 months and counting!.

June 24, 2010 02:33 pm at 2:33 pm |

sifto77

Have you liberals forgotten that Obama took plenty of money from Big Oil? The ban was a ruse for the left to think he was for them (the votes). This way he is off the hook and can still pretend he is for the ban–He had to have known the ban was unconstitutional–he taught constitutional law!

June 24, 2010 02:34 pm at 2:34 pm |

GI Joe

That's ok - we don't need the gulf states. They're all red-neck republican leeches anyway that just put a drain on the other states every time there is a hurricane – talk about welfare!!!.

Our taxes pay for them to rebuild over and over and over on land that is often ravaged by those storms. Our insurance goes up too, to cover he cost of their claims so they can rebuild again and again and again.

But they will have a few oil jobs - no food - just oil. That judge must be getting one heckuva kickback.

June 24, 2010 02:34 pm at 2:34 pm |

Bobby in Atlanta

I think this Administration just needs to hold their boot on the throats of these deep sea drilling operations. If they have one violation, shut them down, and keep their boots on their throats. Regulate them to death!

June 24, 2010 02:34 pm at 2:34 pm |

Dale

Conflict of interest. The judge should have recused himself.

Big oil owns our government, and gets whatever they want with few exceptions. My compliments to Obama for trying to stand up to the VERY powerful political force that is Big Oil and their minions the GOP.

June 24, 2010 02:37 pm at 2:37 pm |

Educated

I'm happy to see a judge base a legal decision on U.S. law and evidence. Several other countries are drilling for oil out in the gulf. Why should we be the only ones who can't drill? What evidence is there that any other wells are in the same trouble as this one? If there's evidence that problems exist with the other wells, the regulators can shut those specific wells down (with specific proof).

I've seen NO evidence that the government wants to clean up the gulf. It appears that they want to destroy everything in the gulf, including the sea life, jobs, and beaches. Why get angry at the judge? Instead, get angry at the bureaucracy and the lack of leadership in the white house that they won't clean up this mess. Why don't we have more skimmers in the gulf? Why are people told NOT to volunteer to clean up the oil? Why is the EPA delaying and/or shutting down every operation that would save the animals, marshes, and beaches?

Because some people care more about POLITICS than PEOPLE and don't want a single crisis to go to waste.

Stop complaining about an honest judge who is doing his job right and ask what our commander in chief is doing to solve this problem? Why does he think all the experts for oil wells are in academia?

Please remember the unintended consequences of decisions. The environmentalists who pushed drilling out further and further into the gulf where it is much more dangerous and costly are more to blame than anyone else. Yes, BP should be more safety conscious and the regulators should have done their job, but none of this would be so critical if they weren't drilling ONE MILE down.

Unfortunately, this community organizer doesn't know how to lead and solve problems. For all who want to stop all drilling, are you willing to pay the wages for all those people who are out of a job? Have you turned off your A/C, lights, and TV? Did you quit driving a car? Or do you prefer to give all your money to the people in the middle east who want to kill us?

Congrats Judge. When the next rig blows, I hope you get out into the ocean to help clean up or will you have a "stay" on that?

June 24, 2010 02:39 pm at 2:39 pm |

Sue

Here is what is really interesting--and I do wish that CNN would do some real investigating/reporting on this issue--and prove that they are unbiased, "real' journalists.................

Days before Obama put into effect the moratorium/stop to the offshore drilling in the Gulf-–George Soros invested millions into Petrabras-–an oil company in Brazil.

Then, days later, Obama gives $2 billion as well to Petrabras.

And, what is even more interesting about this..........This company will be drilling at depths 3x deeper-- than the depth of the rig that blew up in the Gulf.

Can you just imagine how much money George Soros and Petrabras will make-–if all offshore drilling was stopped in the US??

June 24, 2010 02:42 pm at 2:42 pm |

Stand Up To Idiots

Kudos to the judge for going against the ignorant moritorium and the people( with no knowledge of drilling) who put it into effect. Just because one car broke down, do you shut the whole car industry down? no. Same as the oil industry, one rig blows up in 60 years and they call for studies by people who don't have a clue about anything(politicians). Just another way to push the price up on everything and to further their own agenda in spite of how many Americans suffer..

June 24, 2010 02:45 pm at 2:45 pm |

Really?

How about the fact that Ken Salzar lied about the fact that drill experts supported the drill ban when in fact they did not. The basis of their ban were these experts that said he lied!

We have been drilling for decades. This never happened. BP was careless, & has the worse operational record on history but managed to get the permits fr this Admin. Why should the other oil companies that have played by the book and have higher standards than BP, be punished?

Would u like it if the Govt put you out of work while they dither simply because ur competitor did something as agregious as BP?

June 24, 2010 02:51 pm at 2:51 pm |

LMC

Sure–keep up the drilling. After all, there's more coastline to be destroyed out there! I certainly feel for those people whose jobs are affected by the moratorium, but we are talking about possible irreparable harm to the environmet, wildlife, and other people's way of life.

June 24, 2010 02:51 pm at 2:51 pm |

Get A Grip

Good for this Judge.

June 24, 2010 02:53 pm at 2:53 pm |

haren

This judge is out of his mind when he is comparing airplane crash with this Oil spill disaster.
How about building windmills in sea if they collapse, disaster will be a BIG SPLASH.
we can give job to all 54000 worker who will loss their job.